Mother’s Day breakfast menu
Kids have been busy this spring preparing to celebrate mothers on Mother’s Day.
Art work, heart-felt cards and containers with flowers will be finding their way to county homes Friday.
But, breakfast beats out any gift you can give a mother on Mother’s Day. Oh, some restaurants will host brunches. But it’s the personal touch of a child that makes the meal special.
Syrena Bean’s children love to spend time in the kitchen. The mother of seven — age eight weeks to 10 years-old — Blaise, 10; Hazel, 8; Bella, 7; Rex, 5; Lucia, 3; Lola, 1 1/2 and Clara, eight weeks.
She has a large island in the kitchen of her Suttons Bay Township home, which makes it easy for them to get cooking.
“They help a lot,” she said. Bella, 7, loves to bake. She has all the tools: measuring cups and rolling pins and something no other kid has: the recipe for Grandma Joan’s biscuits. Her late great-grandmother, Joan Korson, was famous county- wide and beyond for her baked goods, particularly cinnamon twists.
Older brother, Blaise, 10, is comfortable in the kitchen and cooks macaroni and cheese for his siblings and hot dogs. He also helps his mom preserve food by canning.
“He cans with me every year,” Bean said. “We do a lot of applesauce and he turns the food mill for me.”
Kids love to spend time in the kitchen, incubators of creativity right at home.
And there’s much to be learned in the kitchen. Working in the kitchen helps children develop gross and fine motor skills and improves self-confidence.
“I think it gives them a sense of their own independence,” Bean said. “It’s their first introduction to doing something a grown-up can.”
In older kids, it improves reading comprehension and puts math skills to the test when measuring, reducing or doubling a recipe.
So what can Mrs. Bean expect Sunday morning?
Michael, her husband, has a special waffle recipe.
“Blaise has made it a couple of times,” she said. “Maybe we’ll have waffles.”
The following are two recipes especially for kitchen-loving kids courtesy of Food Network
Crunchy Breakfast Tacos Ingredients: 8 hard corn taco shells 6 large eggs 1 tsp. taco seasoning with salt or chili powder 2 Tbls. unsalted butter 1 cup shredded Mexican-style cheese blend 3 or 4 scallions 1/2 cup salsa or taco sauce 1 cup shredded romaine or iceberg lettuce 1/2 cup grape tomatoes, halved or quartered if large Sliced black olives and source cream for serving (optional)
Directions:
1.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Warm the taco shells on a backing sheet, about 5 minutes.
2.) Crack the eggs into a bowl, add the taco seasoning and whisk well with a fork. Heat a medium nonstick skillet over mediumhigh heat. Melt the butter in a medium nonstick skillet; when it foams and bubbles, add the eggs and reduce the heat to low. Cook the eggs, stirring regularly with a wooden spatula to break them up, until set, 3 to 4 minutes.
3.) Line the center of each taco shell with about 2 generous tablespoons of the scrambled eggs. Top with some cheese, scallions and lettuce and a spoonful of salsa. Garnish with some chopped tomatoes, and serve with olives and sour cream on the side.
Ricotta, Blueberry and Grape Toasts Ingredients:
1/4 cup sliced, skin-on almonds 3/4 cup red seedless grapes, halved 1/2 cup blueberries 1 Tbls. honey, plus more for drizzling and serving 1 tsp. fresh lemon juice 1/2 cup ricotta 1 tsp. lemon zest 2 Tbls. unsalted butter, softened 1/2 baguette, cut into two 6-inch pieces, halved horizontally Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
1.) Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread the almonds on a rimmed baking sheet, and toast until lightly browned and fragrant, about 5 minutes; transfer to a small bowl, and set aside 2.) Toss the grapes, blueberries, honey and lemon juice in a medium bowl. Stir together the ricotta and lemon zest in a small bowl.
3.) Dividing evenly, spread the 4 baguette halves with butter. Transfer to the rimmed baking sheet, and toast until lightly browned and crisp, 5 to 7 minutes.
4.) Sprinkle the toasted halves with a pinch of salt and a bit of pepper,, and spread each with 2 tablespoons of the ricotta mixture. Put each half on an individual serving plate and drizzle with honey, top with a generous 1/4 cup of the fruit mixture and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon toasted almonds.
Note: Never leave a child unattended in the kitchen. These recipes are appropriate for child age 4 to 10. When recipe calls for cooking on the stove or using a paring knife, an adult should do those activities and let the child assist.
